How Much Does it Cost to Start a Blog?

It’s possible to create a blog today without spending much money. The following is an estimation of how much it costs to start a self-hosted WordPress blog using Hostinger as your hosting provider:

• Hosting. Hostinger’s WordPress Starter plan is an excellent choice for small blogs powered by WordPress. The starting price is ₹149/month.
• SSL certificate. An SSL certificate lets your readers know that your blog is safe to visit. Hostinger offers a basic SSL certificates for free. However, you may want to upgrade to a more advanced SSL certificate down the line, which costs $7.49/year.
• Domain name. Hostinger offers a free domain for one year. Renewing a .com domain costs around $10/year.
• WordPress. The self-hosted WordPress core is open-source, which means WordPress is free to use any way you see fit – including downloading and modifying it.
• A theme. Although there are many well-made free themes out there, they usually lack features, customization options, and support. Instead, we suggest purchasing a premium theme for around $60 for optimum blog design and functionality.
• Plugins. Many plugins are also available for free. However, you may need to upgrade to the premium version of some plugins to gain access to additional features. Having two premium plugins installed will cost around $150/year. If you buy more premium plugins, adjust this figure accordingly.
• Marketing and SEO. The costs will depend on which methods you focus on and which tools you use. However, if you’re just starting out, it’s possible to market your blog using free tools like MailChimp and Google Trends to avoid spending any money.
• Maintenance. Most WordPress maintenance, such as software updates and backups, can be done on your own using free tools. However, WordPress can be prone to technical problems, so it’s a good idea to set aside around $100/year for maintenance.

With these figures, the total cost of the first year of blogging amounts to $363.37. Keep in mind that your expenses can be lower or higher depending on your needs.

We suggest making a list of what you need and setting a budget to avoid overspending. If your budget is limited, you can always start with more affordable or free options and upgrade them later once your blog turns a profit.